12
“Come, see the true
flowers
of this pained world.”
― Matsuo Bashō
Yukon Station
After passing through the first guard post Levi kept his identity card in his hand. It saved time.
He and Gunther had finally progressed to the outer door of the huge project building.
“Papers!” the Japanese corporal snapped while the alert private flanking the door kept his machine-gun pointed at the ground in front of them.
The corporal examined their documents carefully and then handed them back.
“Please to sign here,” he said in a heavy accent.
He stepped to the side to reveal a small desk with an open ledger and a ballpoint pen. They signed their names, recorded the time of entry, and in the space for “Reason for Entry” both wrote, “Inspection.”
The corporal read the ledger and looked up at them. “Wait here.” He turned and walked through the door.
The passageway between the front arctic entry and where they now stood was marginally warmer than outside. Levi shivered and pulled his parka tight again. He had anticipated a great deal more warmth by this time.
The door opened and a sergeant major walked in, trailed by the corporal.
“I am Sergeant Major Fukita. I am the senior non-commissioned officer at Yukon Station and in charge of security. What, exactly, do you plan to inspect?” His English was so perfect that Levi felt each word had been chiseled from granite and then flung at them in sentences.
He felt an overwhelming urge to bow to the man but also knew he was probably superior to him in status. His stomach churned with indecision.
“Sergeant Major Fukita, I am the new head of personnel for the project railroad. My assistant,” he nodded, “Mr. Charles, is giving me a tour of the project so I may better perform my tasks.”
“Then you are merely observing, not inspecting. Is that not the case Mr. Fischer?”
“That is true.”
“Very well. Corporal Shogi will accompany you while you are in this building.” He vanished back through the door.
Levi felt his sphincter relax.
“Right,” Gunther said. “Let’s get on with it.” He walked past the corporal and pushed through the door. Levi followed closely.
Corporal Shogi kept exactly a meter between his wards and himself. He also pointed his machine gun at the floor between them, his arms and hands anything but relaxed.
“This part of the building is safe in that you don’t have to wear a radiation suit.” Gunther waved expansively at the large hallway whose walls echoed their steps. “Up there, where there are red lights over the doors, it is lethal to enter if you are not protected.”
Next to the door was a huge window where they stopped for the view. Levi noticed the window was made of very thick glass with five identical panes set in the frame separated about two inches from each other.
“The walls are lined with lead,” Gunther said. “Nothing can leak out. This window has two panes that contain lead sheeting.”
“Why can we see through it?”
“Ask the Japanese, it’s a state secret.”
They both glanced at Corporal Shogi who stared blandly back at them.
“How many people who work in this structure are part of my crew?”
“None, really. I wanted you to see what was in here in case you were ever asked to detail workers to these welcoming walls.”
“Gunther, I have come to the conclusion that you are dangerous.”
“Levi, we are all dangerous! Right corporal?”
Corporal Shogi’s mouth bent in the semblance of a smile. “Of course you are. Why else would I be here?”
Gunther laughed and Levi smiled. He wasn’t used to a Japanese soldier with a sense of humor, however slight.
Levi stared through the window where two people in bulky white coverings were carrying a third person.
“What’s happening in there?” Levi asked.
“It is time to leave this place,” Corporal Shogi said in a hard voice.
“I think we’ve seen all that we can here, Levi. Let’s go find a beer.” He carefully nudged Levi.
Levi didn’t want to leave; he had questions. After further consideration he quietly followed his subordinate toward the door.